I just saw Funny People. I really liked it, but it felt a tad too long. I'm not sure what could have been cut, but still.

03-16-2010

Tycho

I watched Charlie Wilson's War. The Tom Hanks / Julia Roberts movie sets up the present situation in Afghanistan very clearly. We made Osama Bin Laden and al-Quaeda and the Taliban possible with our covert-arms supplies so as to ensnare and exact costs out of the Soviet Union.

We did it so secretly, through Israel, Egypt, and Pakistan, and then we abandoned the Afghans so that they don't really know that it was the US that helped liberate them from the Russians. Therefore, their demagogues haven't had as much trouble persuading their fighters that America is their enemy.

Meanwhile, check out Congressman Wilson's "professional staff," especially Jailbate! :love: This guy knew how to exploit his office (true story). But it also illustrates how taxpayer money gets thrown around Capitol Hill like it means nothing, by people who get lucky if they do some good spending it, but don't have a clue as to what they are really doing half the time.

Anyway, I highly recommend this 2008 movie.

03-18-2010

bigbarada

I watched Astro Boy last night and I now understand why it completely flopped at the box office. I had really high hopes for this, but the first 3/4 of the movie turned out to be just a kiddie-fied version of the Kubrick/Spielberg film A.I. from 2001. Tack on 10 minutes of action at the end of the film, make the last 10 seconds the most interesting part of the entire movie, then cut to the credits and hope for a sequel. That pretty much sums up my impression of the movie.

Too slow and introspective for a kid's movie, too shallow and predictable to interest adults.

03-18-2010

Tycho

I watched Rambo III.

It was very good and delivered a powerful look into why the Afghan people fight so hard for their independence due to the injustices they have been served by occupying countries who have invaded them.

The Taliban or al-Qaeda are only 2 of many causes some Afghan people will rally around when either offers them hope - which might just come down to a meal, medical supplies, a change of clothing, and a protected place to sleep.

It's very hard to imagine that people there could pull off September 11th and the fact lends itself to my own conspiracy theory about our government playing out a black ops mission right under our own citizens' noses. But the official account of 9-11 is possible - just amazing that the hijackers were able to pull it off.

Since the times that Rambo III was set in, the mahajeen fighters have gotten much more funding and training - in part due to Congressman Wilson as the movie I watched the other day focused on.

Anyway, helping the Afghans seems to be a black and white moral decision that Rambo makes, once he is thrust into the situation he tried to avoid before. Only now, Colonel Troutman, Rambo's training officer, superior, and pretty much father-figure, has been captured by the Soviets when Troutman went ahead with the mission without John Rambo.

The movie is about Troutman's rescue story, but it nevertheless really illustrates the Afghan cause.

03-18-2010

Blue2th

Just saw HBO's The Pacific last night. Apparently you just have to sign up there and you can view it for free.

Fairly authentic so far. Most war movies in the past use whatever is available as far as hardware, planes, and vehicles which is usually later in the war stuff because there are not much of the early war stuff available.

They got some real Higgins landing craft. The airplanes, though probably just CGI at this point flying over them were F4F Wildcats. They even had a shot of some dive bombers flying by which not only were the correct ones, but they also had the early 1942 red dotted star insignia and red and white candy striped tail rudders.
So far so good. Not sure what model of truck the Marines found abandoned but it looked Japanese.

Guess we'll have to see what Henderson field looks like and whether the US aircraft will be the correct for 1942. It's what after all they are fighting over.

My favorite scene was when the Marines were looking at the sea battle taking place from their vantage point on a hill thinking the US was winning, but in reality the US got pasted by the Imperial Japanese Navy and had to abandon them for a while.

Anyways, regardless of the authentic look to the series, the story and actors are good. Gonna have to view more of the series, to see if it measures up to Band of Brothers. I'm just happy there's more of the Spielberg, Hanks WWII productions to enjoy.

03-19-2010

JimJamBonds

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blue2th

Just saw HBO's The Pacific last night. Apparently you just have to sign up there and you can view it for free.

My understanding is that that was just for the first episode.

As for myself I watched Miss March last night, I'd really like that time back if possible.

03-20-2010

Tycho

I watched X-Men Origins: Wolverine.

During the Vietnam War Victor Creed starts trouble when he possibly attempts to rape a Vietnamese national and the other troops try to stop him. While disapproving, his brother James Logan comes to Creed's defense and American troops are killed.

For slaying fellow officers, the brothers are put before a military firing squad but their immortality is discovered when there doesn't seem to be any effective way to put them down.

They are recruited by Colonel Stryker who wants to put them on a special ops team due to their unique skills.

Logan soon learns that the special ops team is only a cover for Stryker's less than sanctioned goals to forward his personal agenda with mutant human beings - and he'll use any and all methods at his disposal. Logan quits the team.

Some years later, in 1979, Creed turns up still working with Stryker and hunting down mutants to help Stryker create "Weapon X (no, 10)."

Logan becomes involved when Stryker uses trickery to re-enlist him.

Three Mile Island is the end result, as well the creation of the mutant hero, Wolverine!

03-20-2010

El Chuxter

Wow. That makes me glad I never watched that movie.

03-20-2010

bigbarada

Quote:

Originally Posted by El Chuxter

Wow. That makes me glad I never watched that movie.

Yeah, Wolverine is really not a good movie. Here's hoping that the franchise gets a cinematic reboot and we can forget about all 4 previous X-Men films.

03-20-2010

Tycho

X-Men Origins: Wolverine is probably my favorite X-men movie.

Hugh Jackman is the perfect Wolverine and the story is as realistic as it can get with the general suspense of disbelief required for a superhero movie.

I love that.

Liev Schreiber is great as Sabertooth (Victor Creed) and we learn what really created the blood-feud between them (Jimmy's love interest of course - but she too had a power and was being used by Stryker).

Gambit makes a great debut here, and we see a young Professor Charles Xavier first take in the teenage Scott Summers (Cyclops).